DRUG MONEY: WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND

Drug dealers caught with cash and cars may be disappointed to learn they're
financing the downfall of their comrades, but to local police departments,
assets collected through seizures present a powerful windfall.

Federal, state and local laws allow agencies to share in the bounty of
forfeited assets. The money must be held in trust and can only be used for
"legitimate law enforcement purposes" to increase or supplement existing
resources.

Laws governing eligible spending are wide-ranging and general, leaving
local police chiefs with wide discretion.

And depending on the size of the city or town, frequency and breadth of
drug busts and management of the account, seizures can mean the difference
between ongoing drug investigations or drug-filled streets.

"I could never fund my narcotics unit properly with the budget I get," said
Framingham Police Chief Steven Carl. "The majority of undercover and
narcotics work comes out of the drug law enforcement funds. We have a very
large budget for personnel and operations, but it does not allow for extras."

Carl said he has about $80,000 in the account, but he's frugal when it
comes to spending. Unlike the operational budget, the seizures account is
not replenished regularly.

"Maybe sometimes I'm too cautious (about spending) and I'm criticized for
it, but the narcotics trade is not going away and we need to always have
resources," Carl said. "A year from now if nothing's in the fund we'll have
trouble doing narcotics investigations."

Carl recently spent about $3,800 to update the decades-old dictation system
officers use to file reports.

Chiefs in MetroWest said common expenditures include surveillance equipment
and narcotics training, as well as car rentals and "buy money" for
undercover drug deals.

Ashland Chief Roy Melnick departed from the standard this year, buying new
gold and silver badges for his officers, which he also presented to
selectmen and the new town manager as gifts, encased in lucite with names
inscribed.

He spent $6,600 on the badges to boost morale and pride, he said, leaving
only $1,300 in the account.

While the purchase of badges adheres to the spending requirement, some feel
presenting them as gifts to town officials pushed the envelope.

"I think the intent of the legislation is to enhance our ability to
perform," said Natick Chief Dennis Mannix. "Clothing or something like that
- -- I'm not sure that doesn't violate the spirit of it even though they have
opened the door to do it."

Both Melnick and Carl said new badges instill officers with pride and can
increase accountability thereby enhancing law enforcement.

In Natick, Mannix has about $25,000 in the account, most of which resulted
from two big busts years ago.

"It's not something that trickles in in small doses. Usually it's a
significant asset that's seized" or nothing at all, he said. "I've
hesitated to spend it because I know we may need it for some particular
technological enhancement for investigations."

In the past few years, Mannix has spent money on secure communications
systems and equipment, he said.

Cash and cars are the most common assets seized through drug busts. Melnick
said the forfeiture of a $15,000 Mitsubishi is currently pending and could
come through in the next month. If successful, Ashland would likely split
about $10,000 with the Middlesex District Attorney's office, which is
prosecuting the civil forfeiture case.

Seized assets are generally shared between agencies in accordance with the
level of participation in the arrest and forfeiture proceedings.

Many cars involved in drug arrests aren't even worth pursuing because
they're either junk or owned by third parties, such as leasing companies.

"A lot (of the) cars we take down are only worth $300 to $400," Melnick
said. "That's not worth the energy to seize."

Another school of thought is to go for whatever possible.

"I'm very seizure-oriented," said Marlborough Lt. Arthur Brodeur, who has
run the city's drug department for almost 30 years. "Everybody is pretty
well trained. If (a suspect) is charged with intent to distribute, you take
the money, you take the car. As far as we're concerned, they bought the car
or are keeping the payments on the car with drug money."

Marlborough has about $20,000 in its law enforcement account, Brodeur said.
He used money from the trust years ago to buy computers, making
"(Marlborough) detectives the first to get PC computers."

In the past 12 years, Marlborough has seized from $140,000 to $175,000,
Brodeur said, most of which has been spent on investigations.

Hopkinton Chief Tom Irvin said he has only $2,750 in the account. He uses
it for "buy money," car rentals, drug training and fees for membership in
drug task forces.

(News staff writer Kristen Bradley contributed to this report.)